Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1884.
There was something in the atmosphere of the City Council Chamber last night ihat was not conducive to harmony. Even before the proceedings commenced the air was full of signs and portents, and had those who are in the habit of attending the meetings been asked to hazard a guess as to the state of the barometer they would probably have replied that ifc was down to " Stormy." Tp begin with, one fourth of the members were absent, and this appeared to produce an irritating effect upon the Mayor, who had gone to some considerable trouble in the preparation of a skeleton scheme for the introduction of the earth closet system for fche consideration of the Council, and was probably not well pleased to find that all did not take as much interest in the matter as himself Having introduced the subject and commented on the correspondence that hat! appeared in the newspapers he suggested that the Council Bhould resolve itself into Committee and discuss the clauses of the Boheme one by one. He had no sooner sat down than Cr Levien rose and moved that the discussion be deferred until that day six months. This of course was tantamount to shelving the question altogether, and was certainly a singular course for a Councillor to adopt who three or four days previously had, in common with ten out of the eleven Councillors present, by his vote expressed hiß approval of the principle of the scheme proposed to be introduced. The Mayor was evidently taken by surprise, and. equally evidently, he was more annoyed tban ever. He was probably vexed that a proposition should be made for the Council so to stultify itself, and, more than that, having a natural affection for his offspring, he was doubtless moved to wrath by this heartless attempt to strangle fche infant at its birth. Cr Levien having concluded his remarks, in which some few things were said which were nofc calculated to soothe the Mayor'B feelings, Cr Joseph Harley rose to second the motion for shelving the question, which he did in a speech that, to put it very mildly, was the reverse of conciliatory. All the Mayor's tact, all his Keif restraint, were now wanted if the difficulty which had unexpectedly arisen was to be successfully tided over, but they did not come to his aid. Clearly he was angry; very angry. This was nofc to be wondered afc, for he certainly had received a considerable amount of provocation, but the mischief of ifc was fchafc he nofc only felt angry but Bhowed it. He '• should be Borry to see the Council making auch asses of themselves," &o. Now, the most; good natured of men, in his calmest frame of mind, is apt to consider himself aggrieved by the bare suggestion that there is even a remote possibility of his "making an asß of himself." Somehow or other the cleverness of performing the pecu- J liar trassformafcion feat is completely overshadowed by the wretched result produced. And bo it happened that, when the Muyor I resumed his seat after passing this pleasant j little remark, fche atmosphere was more I sultry than ever. To use an expressive, if inelegant), phrase, all the fat was in the fire now. It did nofc burst into a blaze afc once, but the period of smouldering was but a brief one. Afc a little later period the accusation by implication thab Cr Levien was acting the part of a stonewaller brought matters to a climax, and that gentleman retired from the Chamber, and, being followed by Crs J. Harley and Stringer, there waa not a quorum left and the meeting broke up. Perhapp under the circumstances and in the then temper of the Council it was as well that this should be so, bui the course adopted by those who left I with the intention of reducing the number b.-low the quorum limit was most assuiedly | not a very dignified one, and we are glad to .earn from Cr Levien thafc it was not with that view thafc he absented himself, he not being aware thafc the others were leaving We have assumed a bantering tone in r->. r'-ning lo ihe proceedings of last night, because we really believe that the only way to treat the matfcer fairly is to treat it lightly. The little Btorm thafc arose was brough about; by accident, rather than design Thau Mr Fsll and Mr Levien, who may be regarde > >s the representatives of the two sid<*s, we do not believe that there are in th*.* town two men more desirous of doing that which they consider right and of advantage o the ratepayers, and if there was a little isplay of temper, that will speedily be for gotten, and we feel sure that tbey will
either co-operate or agree to differ amicably. The question, to discuss which the Council was called together last night, is one of great importance to the ratepayers, and the Mayor and Councillors are not fche men we take them to be if they cannot meet and talk ib over without quarrelling. The position in which the matter now stands is this : — The Council have by a majority of ten to one decided that ib is desirable to adopt the earth closet system within a limited area, and it now remains for them to discuss fche best method in which the system can be worked. A little further delay can do no harm, and perhaps the breeze of last Dighfc will tend fco blow away any trifling misunderstandings thab may have existed, thus leaving the way clear for Mayor, Councillors, and ratepayers alike to think over the matter, and to mutually assist each other iv arriving at a conclusion that ihall be for the general advantage.
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Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 26, 31 January 1884, Page 2
Word Count
977Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1884. Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 26, 31 January 1884, Page 2
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